In July I was playing catch with my son Ben in the city pool with a waterlogged ball and it jammed my finger. The thing never healed and in November I went to get it X-rayed because it seemed ridiculous that it wouldn’t have healed in that amount of time. VA health care is amazing. They X-rayed my finger in all possible directions and called me in November with the verdict. Arthritis.

At first I was like hm. That sucks. And I went back to work thinking nothing more of it.

In the next couple of weeks I noticed that all my fingers ached. They felt like the had gum or taffy around the joints, my hands ached when I did massages, and I was having pain with everyday use. Playing volleyball with my boys jarred my fingers, Whenever Craig would squeeze my hands, a loving gesture, it surprised us both when I yelped in pain. Opening jars in the kitchen was a challenge.

It took me a while to comprehend what having arthritis in my fingers meant to me in the grand scheme of things. I have discovered that it means I can no longer practice massage therapy. Yes, my doctor had to tell me this before I got the hint, especially since doing massage for 22 years caused the problem to begin with.

This is the new normal.

So, I.M. Spa had just started renovating the new space for expansion. We were adding a yoga studio and an extra treatment room, as well as building in plans to expand and include a smoothie bar when my life wasn’t so complicated with nursing school. We had just bought $350 worth of body wax and thousands in Eminence products.

Towards the end of December it was clear that there was no other decision to make. We had to close I.M. Spa.

What does this mean to you if you are a client? We are in the process of negotiating a new home for our clients. You don’t need to worry about using your gift certificates. There will be a place for you to go, but because this happened so fast we are still navigating that territory. When we get it sorted out (within the next couple of weeks) we will give you detailed instructions. You should be able to simply call the same number and book an appointment in the new location.

If you currently have an appointment you will be rescheduled. It’s going to be okay. We anticipate having a ton of phone calls in reaction to this information. I would encourage you to wait a couple weeks to call (Mid-January) while we find a home for you. If you feel like you can’t wait, then please leave a detailed message when you do call.

I feel very fortunate for being able to touch people the way we have been able to with I.M. Spa. I have worked on this business for 10 years and it has been amazing. Our clients are fabulous, a wonderful network of extended family that I will miss immensely.

Building this business has taught me so much. I have learned that I have tremendous stamina and drive (enough to crush the cartilege in between my finger joints :). I have learned to do accounting, marketing, managing, human resources, retail (not the favorite), and conflict resolution. I have learned how tremendously difficult it is to be a small business owner and I love our community of small business owners in downtown Fayetteville. They exist because you consciously choose to support them. I have learned that I love helping people, and no matter where I end up, I know that that is what I want to do.

If you know anybody who needs an awesome, organized, reliable, loyal, good tempered problem solver let us know, because sweet Natalie needs a job now. She definitely gets stuff done! Don’t have them contact me unless they plan to pay her well and take good care of her because she deserves it.

Thank you for supporting I.M. Spa for the past 10 years. And keep an eye out for our next newsletter!!

Love, love, love, and Happy New Year!! Wendy

Wendy Finn is the mother of 4 boys, owner of I.M. Spa, student nurse tech at a local hospital, a Raw Food Enthusiast and educator, a world traveler in pursuit of superior massage education, a Master Massage Therapist of 22 plus years, a gardener, and a nursing student. She’s passionate about touching people and sharing health.

That is devastating. You made my miserable pain in my shoulder go completely away. Now there is a pain in my heart reading this. Prayers for you for a cure for arthritis. You are “the BEST” in my opinion. Best wishes to you & your family on your next journey.